We’re more than a bit partial to brit-pop heroes Blur. The band is playing out the Olympic games with what could possibly be their last ever gig on August 12th in London’s Hyde Park, but if you’ve not got tickets it’s not the end of the world; the band is set to perform a world-first Twitter-streamed gig to reveal two new songs.
Frontman Damon Albarn says the two new tracks – The Puritan and Under the Westway – have both been written with the closing ceremony gig in mind, but that won’t be the first time they’ll see the light of day. Here’s bassist and unlikely cheese farmer Alex James to explain:
Twitter’s UK GM Tony Wang says of the live stream that the Blur boys “know what their fans want,” and that they’re “setting the pace for the future of artist engagement online.”
Keen to listen in? The stream will be beamed into your Twitter window from a secret location on July 2nd. All fans need do is direct their attentions to @blurofficial at 6:15pm for the first track (and subsequent inteview) and 7:15pm for the second.
While this is a first for Twitter, it’s not the first time artists have streamed gigs online. In February, Paul McCartney beamed a live gig into Apple TV boxes worldwide, while the New Kids on the Back Street Block (yes, that’s a real thing) have done similar through Facebook. If the future of gigs is online, it’s a wise move on Twitter’s behalf to get involved sooner rather than later.
